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Las Cruces and regional bands showcase their talents at NMSU's Tournament of Bands

By Lauren E. Toney / For the Sun-News

Posted:
11/03/2012 09:28:11 PM MDT

LAS CRUCES — High school marching bands from throughout New Mexico and neighboring states forged onto the field at Aggie Memorial Stadium to perform at the 35th annual New Mexico State University Tournament of Bands competition Saturday.

One of the nation's top high school marching band contests, the Tournament of Bands is an invitational competition open to all regional high school bands.

Thirty-six marching bands from New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona high schools showcased routines that were perfected throughout the summer months during the day-long tournament.

Oñate High's Royal Knight Regiment Band took third place. Cobre High was named the Class C champion. No other New Mexico schools placed. (For complete results, see below.)

"The Tournament of Bands began 35 years ago as a showcase for local marching bands and has since grown to an event that hosts more than 3,000 students and more than 15,000 fans," said Christopher Hughes, director of bands for NMSU.

Eight judges, with hundreds of years of combined experience directing marching bands throughout the nation, chose 10 finalists from the competition to perform a second time before naming the Tournament of Band's grand champion Saturday night, Hughes said.

"These bands have to display excellence," he said. "Not only an excellent musical performance, but excellent visual presentation — marching skills — and general affect, or how the performance touches your soul."

Hughes continued, "Playing in tune and marching in unison is just the beginning."

More than simply a regional competition for high school marching bands, Hughes said the Tournament of Bands also serves as an educational experience for young musicians.

"We're an educational institution, so, first and foremost, we aim to fulfill our mission of teaching and learning," he said. "These band members are not only creating lifelong memories, but this experience will hopefully propel many of them to continue to explore their musical talents and abilities."

Members of NMSUs Pride of New Mexico Marching Band also performed for young band members and spectators during the annual tournament.

"Many members of the Pride will tell you that they were inspired to attend NMSU and join our band after attending the Tournament of Bands, so this competition is a great recruiting tool for NMSU as well," Hughes said.

Almost all marching bands that performed during this year's Tournament of Bands were returning competitors, including last year's grand champions from the Coronado High School Marching Band in El Paso.

Local marching bands from Las Cruces, Mayfield, and Oñate high schools also returned to fight for the top spot in this year's tournament.

"These local high school marching bands frequently earn some of the top spots in the competition," Hughes said. "That's a testament to how hard-working these bands are and how fantastic the teachers and band directors are."

Students from the city's newest high school, Centennial, performed for the first time at the Tournament of Bands on Saturday morning.

"Centennial High School's marching band really blew us all away," Hughes said. "While it's made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores, being a brand new school, you would never know it watching them perform. It was an extremely exciting introduction to the school's marching band to see what a fabulous group they already are."

Securing second place in the 2011 Tournament of Bands, Oñate High School band director Shawn Silva said the grand champion honor was within reach for his group this year.

"In my 10 years as Onate High School's band director, this was by far our best and most intricate performance at Tournament of Bands," Silva said. "Last year, we were awarded the best band in New Mexico (during the competition) and we're hoping for first place overall this year."

The band's 142 members performed an eight-minute routine titled "Full Circle" for judges Saturday evening, playing songs "Heat of the Day," "Letter Home," and "Full Circle."

"We were nervous initially," said Tasha Marta, 15, a freshman in the Oñate High School band.

"Once we made our way out onto the field, though, it felt amazing," added Alexis Lopez, 14, also a freshman in the school's band. "I think we performed extremely well, but it's up to the judges now. I hope we win first place, though."

Las Cruces High School's marching band also put on the "best performance they've had all season," for judges Saturday evening, said the high school's band director Saul Garland.

Titled "Vertigo," the Las Cruces High School marching band's performance in the competition was "a completely different show than last year's," added Brent Phelps, the school's assistant band director. "The energy and the excitement was definitely up from last year."

"It was eight minutes of pure adrenaline," said Michael Cort, 16, a junior at Las Cruces High School, who plays quads in the band. "This is my third year competing in the Tournament of Bands and I was most confident in our performance this year."

"We were all very focused and determined. Any nervousness we felt went away the moment we marched onto the field," added Ben Schultz, 15, a freshmen at Las Cruces High School who played timpani in the band's routine.

Performing songs by composer Danny Elfman featured in the film "Alice in Wonderland," the routine performed by the Mayfield High School marching band included "a lot of props and a lot of surprises," said Jamie Jones, 16, a sophomore who plays the piccolo in the band.

"I think we were more prepared this year, too," added Elena Dennis, 15, a sophomore who plays the flute in the band. "I think we all did amazing and I hope we get the chance to perform for the judges again as finalists."

The 10 marching bands selected as finalists in the competition were set to perform "the same routines as they had earlier in the day, but possibly with a few new elements and even better than before," Saturday night, Hughes said. "From what I've seen already, I would say that these bands from throughout the region could compete with some of the best in the country. They've all really outdone themselves and blown us away with their performances. That will make it tough for judges to select the best of the best (Saturday) night."